AKD appoints new partner to Transport & Energy team

Leading Benelux law firm AKD has appointed Vivian van der Kuil a partner in its Transport & Energy team with effect from 1 June 2018.

Vivian joined AKD in 2015. She is an international litigation specialist with wide experience as a lawyer of complex proceedings in the Dutch Civil and Criminal Court. She is also a former judge and public prosecutor. Before joining the legal profession, Vivian completed officer training at the Royal Dutch Institute for the Navy and subsequently worked as an officer in the Operations/Navigation Service with the Royal Dutch Navy.

Vivian specialises in emergency response in the shipping and energy sectors, including salvage, total loss, collisions, fire and explosion, limitation of liability, wreck removal, piracy, ship arrest and both civil and criminal pollution liability involving seagoing vessels, inland waterway vessels, and yachts. She acts for charterers, traders, shipowners, hull & machinery underwriters and P&I clubs on charter party, bill of lading, offshore and general maritime issues. Vivian deals with insurance coverage and other shipping and energy-related commercial and contractual disputes. She also advises on public international law including the law of the sea.

Vivian is a Legal 500 first-rate recommended lawyer and a member of the legal committee of IVR, the international association of national organisations representing, among others, the inland navigation, insurance and surveying sectors. She says, “Transport and energy are volatile and complex areas, and I have been able to use - and to add to – my experience of these sectors since joining AKD. I am delighted to have been made a partner and to continue my development as part of an outstanding team.”

Jos van der Meché, head of AKD’s Transport & Energy team, says, “Vivian will be a great asset to our partner team. She has a wealth of experience of different areas of the industry at the highest level, as well as an impressive pedigree as an advocate and judge. She has all the experience and expertise necessary to improve still further the ability to find innovative solutions to complex issues which is the hallmark of the AKD Transport & Energy team.”

AKD’s Transport & Energy team provides a full range of legal services. AKD is a full-service Benelux firm with over 250 lawyers, civil-law notaries and tax advisers.

AKD: Law Firm of the Year: Benelux | The Lawyer European Awards 2018

www.akd.nl

Multraship strengthens Black Sea presence with Multratug switch to Bourgas

Leading towage and salvage specialist Multraship is further strengthening its prominent position in the Black Sea region by transferring its state-of-the-art Damen-built tugboat Multratug 26 to the Bulgarian port of Bourgas for operation by its 100-percent owned subsidiary, Bourgas Tug Service.

Pepijn Nuijten, joint-managing director of Multraship, says, “Multraship believes very strongly in the strategic importance of the Black Sea region, and its prospects for commercial and economic growth. It is committed to expanding its fleet in the area to provide the quality services which the industry needs, both now and in the future.

“We have seen a significant growth in our Black Sea operations, mainly in harbour towage and in offshore work, not least that involving the Turkish Stream Project (and its predecessor the South Stream project) to build a natural gas pipeline from Southern Russia to Turkey.”

The 63-ton bollard pull, ASD FiFi Multratug 26 will significantly strengthen the Bourgas Tug Service fleet, which consists of six tugboats, including ASD and Voith-powered units.

Pepijn Nuijten says, “Multraship acquired Bourgas Tug Service in 2005, since when it has continued to enhance its reputation as a quality provider of harbour towage, salvage and line-handling services in and around the port of Bourgas. We believe Multratug 26 will be the best-equipped tugboat in Bulgaria, and its deployment in Bourgas is part of Multraship’s commitment to provide specialist equipment and services in those parts of the world where they are most needed.”

Multraship is a leading Dutch towage and salvage company. It is a division of the Muller Maritime Group, which has been engaged in the shipping industry for more than 230 years. The company's core activities include harbour towage, salvage & wreck removal, ocean towage and support to offshore energy & dredging industries. Multraship operates and manages a large fleet of tugs, salvage vessels, floating sheerlegs and other craft equipped with modern towage, salvage and fire-fighting equipment and manned by experienced and highly-trained masters and crew. www.multraship.com



For more information contact:
Pepijn Nuijten
Multraship B.V.
+31 (0) 115 645 000
PNuijten@multraship.com


Kalin Borissov
Bourgas Tug Service
+359 88 5120766

Multraship welcomes energy efficient hybrid tug

LEADING towage and salvage specialist Multraship has welcomed Multratug 28, an energy-efficient hybrid Damen ASD 2810-type tug with state-of-the-art FiFi 1 firefighting capabilities, into its fleet. Damen’s ASD 2810 Hybrid is a new design and this is the second of its class to be built. It features diesel-direct, diesel-electric and battery-powered propulsion systems. This hybrid configuration will enable Multraship to lower fuel costs by up to 30 percent and emissions by up to 60 percent.

Multraship managing director Leendert Muller said, “This new tug will provide clean and energy-efficient harbour towage in the Zeeland Seaports and Antwerp areas. It will also be on standby for fire- or explosion-related emergencies in the western and central part of the River Scheldt and for offshore services. As a traditional family-owned towage and salvage company we are very proud to be one of the world leaders in the deployment of hybrid tugs which set new benchmarks for environmentally-friendly operation.”

           

For a hi-res photo of Multratug 28 email: emuller@multraship.com

Multraship is a leading Dutch towage and salvage company. It draws on a century of experience in the maritime sector. Multraship’s core operations include harbour towage, ocean towage, salvage and services to the dredging, offshore and renewable energy industries. It operates and manages a large fleet of tugs, salvage vessels, floating sheerlegs and other craft equipped with modern towage, salvage and fire-fighting equipment and manned by experienced and highly-trained masters and crew. www.multraship.com

For more information contact:              

Eline Muller                                                 

Multraship B.V.                                            

Tel. +31 (0) 115 645 000                           

emuller@multraship.com

Multraship and Damen agree deals for three more ASD Tugs

 Leading towage and salvage specialist Multraship and Damen Shipyards Group have confirmed an agreement for three new ASD (Azimuth Stern Drive) Tugs, all for delivery in 2015.

After delivery in Vietnam, scheduled for the end of first-quarter 2015, two state-of-the-art ASD Tugs 3212 will operate for Multraship as sister vessels to the 83-tonne bollard pull Multratug 19, which was built by Damen in Romania and delivered in 2012. The tugs will have excellent sea-keeping behaviour, superb manoeuvrability and outstanding towing characteristics.

As part of Multraship’s continuing fleet expansion an ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid is scheduled to be delivered in Romania in first-quarter 2015. With an expected bollard pull of 61 tonnes, it will be the second vessel of its type built by Damen to come into operation. The ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid has a diesel-direct, diesel-electric and battery-powered propulsion system, resulting in reported fuel savings of between 10 and 30 percent and reduced emissions of about 60 percent, depending on how the vessel is used.

Leendert Muller, managing director of Multraship, says, “Multraship continues to expand its client base in the offshore energy sector as well as in its harbour towage operations. All three ASD tugs are highly suitable for these markets whilst their FIFI 1 fire-fighting equipment makes them especially valuable for emergency response. We are delighted to have collaborated with Damen on our fleet expansion programme. We are both family-owned companies with a Dutch heritage and an international outlook, so we make a good fit.”

                             

Multraship is a leading Dutch towage and salvage company. It is a division of the Muller Maritime Group, which has been engaged in the shipping industry for more than 230 years. The company's core activities include harbour towage, salvage & wreck removal, ocean towage and support to offshore energy & dredging industries. Multraship operates and manages a large fleet of tugs, salvage vessels, floating sheerlegs and other craft equipped with modern towage, salvage and fire-fighting equipment and manned by experienced and highly-trained masters and crew. www.multraship.com

Damen Shipyards Group operates 32 shipyards and ship repair yards around the world, employing 8,000 people. It has delivered more than 5,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers approximately 160 vessels annually to customers worldwide. www.damen.com

  

For more information contact:  

         

Eline Muller                                        

Multraship B.V.                                  

+31 (0) 115 645 000                          

emuller@multraship.com

Multraship strengthens fleet with ASD tug

LEADING towage and salvage specialist Multraship has further strengthened its multipurpose fleet with the addition of the ASD tug Multratug 20.

Multraship has contracted with international broker and consultant DSB Offshore for the long-term bareboat charter of the 72-ton bollard-pull vessel, which was built by the Bogazici Shipyard in Turkey in 2010 and is equipped to undertake a range of services including towage, escort, anchor-handling, fire-fighting and salvage.

Multratrug 20 has two Schottel SRP 1515 propulsion units and is powered by two Caterpillar 3516B engines. Its 244 cu m bunker capacity allows for both coastal and open sea towage and, with a length overall of 32.5 m, it can comfortably perform harbour towage operations. Deck equipment includes a 200t/80t MacGregor escort winch, a 130t/65t towing winch, a deck crane, a triple shark jaw, tow pins and a 130t stern roller.

Multraship managing director Leendert Muller says, “The latest addition to the Multraship fleet underlines our long-term commitment to the maritime sector. Our new tug will be used primarily at sea, for towage, and to provide assistance and support for wind-farm and offshore construction projects.

“Although traditional shipping activities have been experiencing a difficult time during the economic downturn of the last five years, the offshore sector is healthy, with new technology being used to exploit new resources in new areas. At the same time, the renewable energy market continues to develop at an exciting pace, driven by the demand for clean, green sources of power.

“By continuing to bolster its multipurpose fleet, Multraship is ensuring that it is well-positioned now and for the future.”

For a photo of Multratug 20 (credit: Ruud Zegwaard) go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/Multraship

 

Multraship is a leading Dutch towage and salvage company. It draws on a century of experience in the maritime sector. Multraship’s core operations include salvage, wreck removal, harbour towage, ocean towage, services to the dredging, offshore and renewable energy industries, and support for inland navigation. It operates and manages a large fleet of tugs, salvage vessels, floating sheerlegs and other craft equipped with modern towage, salvage and fire-fighting equipment and manned by experienced and highly-trained masters and crew. www.multraship.com

For more information contact:              

Eline Muller                                                 

Multraship B.V.                                           

Tel. +31 (0) 115 645 000                           

emuller@multraship.com

                                   

Multraship utilises floating sheerlegs to salvage fishing trawler off Dunkirk

LEADING towage and salvage specialist Multraship has salvaged the fishing trawler Nieuwpoort 28 (N28) which capsized off Dunkirk on March 1, using its recently upgraded floating sheerlegs Cormorant to successfully complete a challenging operation.

The trawler capsized twenty miles off the French/Belgian coast. It was upside-down in the water and the French and Belgian Coastguards mobilised a Search & Rescue operation during which Navy divers searched the vessel but were unable to find any of the trawler’s three crew members – two brothers and their brother-in-law, all from the close-knit Zeeland fishing community.

On March 3, Multraship was awarded the salvage contract. It mobilised its Multratug 18, which held water in position while air was pumped into the trawler to keep it afloat. The initial plan had been to tow the trawler to shallow water near Flushing to parbuckle it with the Cormorant. But when clearance could not be obtained from the Belgian authorities to enter their waters with the capsized-but-floating tow, the Cormorant had to be mobilised to the site of the casualty.

The Cormorant arrived at the site on the night of March 4 and, after divers had inspected the casualty overnight, slings were prepared on the next tide and the trawler was parbuckled on March 5. The Nieuwpoort 28 was then pumped dry, whereafter a search failed to locate the missing crew members.

By this time the weather had deteriorated to such an extent that it was not possible to get the trawler out of the slings and safely break up the Cormorant’s four-point mooring system. Subsequently it was decided it would be safer to wait for a better weather window and transport the trawler to Flushing in the Cormorant’s slings, under tow by Multratug 18. On March 7, the convoy arrived at Flushing, where the slings were removed, and the trawler was subsequently towed to Multraship’s home port of Terneuzen, where it was redelivered to its owners. An investigation into the cause of the accident is currently under way.

Multraship had a team of approximately forty people working on the salvage operation. Its managing director Leendert Muller says, “This was a challenging job, successfully completed, but our sympathies of course lie with the families of the missing crew members.

“The Cormorant is stationed in the Flushing / River Scheldt area, and we have only recently fitted a new A-frame and upgraded it to 600 tons lifting capacity. It certainly proved its worth on this occasion.”

Multraship is a leading Dutch towage and salvage company. It draws on a century of experience in the maritime sector. Multraship’s core operations include salvage, wreck removal, harbour towage, coastal and deep-sea towage, services to the dredging, offshore and wind-farm industries, and support for inland navigation. It operates and manages a large fleet of tugs, salvage vessels, floating sheerlegs and other craft equipped with modern towage, salvage and fire-fighting equipment and manned by experienced and highly-trained masters and crew. www.multraship.com

For more information contact:
Eline Muller
Multraship B.V.
Tel. +31 (0) 115 645 000
emuller@multraship.com

For high-resultion photos of the N28 salvage, please go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/Multraship

Multraship christens its two latest tugs

Multraship christens its two latest tugs

LEADING towage and salvage specialist Multraship christened its two newest Azimuth stern-drive multipurpose tugs in a special ceremony at the Portaal van Vlaanderen in Terneuzen, the Netherlands, on February 4, 2011.

Joan Nuijten-Muller of Multraship performed the christening ceremony on Multratug 18, which was delivered in 2009 by the Vega Shipyard in Bandirma, Turkey. Multratug 18 is 35.7 m loa, with a moulded beam of 11.50 m, and is designed for a multi-role capability for harbour, escort and sea towage as well as fire-fighting and salvage roles. It is chiefly employed in a deep-sea role, but can be deployed as and when needed in the River Scheldt area.

Multratug 18 has FiFi 1 fire-fighting, salvage, escort towage and oil recovery notations, and is powered by two ABC diesel engines, which deliver 70 tons bollard pull. It has a double drum winch aft and a single drum winch forward and a free running speed of 13.5 knots. It is classed by Italian classification society RINA and is registered under the Dutch flag.

Eline Muller of Multraship, meanwhile, christened Multratug 3, which was built in Vietnam by Damen Shipyards and delivered to Terneuzen in late December 2010. Multratug 3 will mainly operate for Antwerp Towage NV, a 50/50 joint venture between Multraship and Fairplay Towage, but will also be available for emergency response work, including fire-fighting, in the River Scheldt area.

With FiFi fire-fighting, a maximum bollard pull of 94.7 tonnes, an overall length of 32.14 m, and a beam of 13.29 m, the vessel is capable of a speed of 14.7 knots. It is classed by Lloyd’s Register and is registered under the Dutch flag. It is currently the strongest tug in the area.

Also on display at the christening ceremony was Multraship’s floating sheerlegs Cormorant, recently upgraded to 600 tonnes lifting capacity and with its new A-frame proudly in place.

Multraship is an established and widely respected provider of towage and salvage services, including harbour towage and other port-related services in Terneuzen, Ghent, Flushing, Antwerp and nearby areas as well as in the Black Sea port of Bourgas. Together with Fairplay Towage, it also operates Antwerp Towage NV, which has been a great success since it was launched in 2008, and continues to build on its client base. As a result of the ongoing fleet investment typified by these two latest tugs, the established expertise and leading-edge technology of Multraship is available to respond to the needs of its clients, in port or at sea, where and when it is needed.

Multraship is a leading Dutch towage and salvage company. It draws on a century of experience in the maritime sector. Multraship’s core operations include salvage, wreck removal, harbour towage, coastal and deep-sea towage, services to the dredging, offshore and wind-farm industries, and support for inland navigation. It operates and manages a large fleet of tugs, salvage vessels, floating sheerlegs and other craft equipped with modern towage, salvage and fire-fighting equipment and manned by experienced and highly-trained masters and crew. www.multraship.com

For more information contact:
Eline Muller
Multraship B.V.
Tel. +31 (0) 115 645 000
mailto:emuller@multraship.com

To download a high-resolution photo of the christening ceremony or the ships, please go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/Multraship